Sterilized surgical dressing.



No. 68l,483. Patented Aug. 27, I91. H. 6. LOVIS. STERILIZED SURGICAL DRESSING.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1898.)

(N0 Modal.)

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UNITED STATES HENRY C. LOVIS, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

STERILIZED SURGICAL DRESSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 681,483, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed November 2, 1898. Serial No. 695,277. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. LOVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilized Surgical Dressings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to sterilized surgical dressings; and it consists in a new and improved article of manufacture constituting the dressing packed in the peculiar manner hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in the claim.

The invention has been practiced by me, especially with reference to aseptic dressings; but it is also applicable to dressings of the antiseptic kind.

After having properly treated the dressings so as to produce the desired state of asepsis or sterility or antisepsis, as the case may be, it has heretofore been the custom to fold each strip (in which form the dressings are commonly made) longitudinally two or more times and then wind it into a roll, wrapping the roll in an oil-paper to form a package which was itself placed in a case or any other suitable container. When the dressing was to be used, the roll was removed from the case and its oiled wrappings and partially unrolled till the length of the strip desired had been freed and cut 0E, whereupon the roll was rewrapped and returned to its container. To use the dressings, therefore, the removal of more or less of the body of the roll instead of approximately as much of the strip as was desired was necessitated. Much handling as well as considerable exposure to atmospheric influence was therefore involved, the consequential effect being the more or less contamination of the dressings. Especially were these difficulties noticeable with respect to aseptic dressings, which, wanting the aggressive influences toward germs of the antiseptic dressings, were more susceptible to pollution.

With the object of overcoming the aforementioned difficulties I propose to fold the strip of dressings from end to end, so as to form a continuous series of folds, the body thus formed being wrapped in a wrapping or covering of some soft yielding and flexible material, such as a piece of the dressing itself, and also, if desired, in an additional covering of the oil-paper, and this package being placed in a suitable snugly-fitting case provided with a cover adjacent one of the ends of the inclosed strip. By this arrangement it is only necessary when it is desired to use the dressings to remove the cover of the case and after unfolding the ends of the oiled wrappings adjacent the same to withdraw for clipping ofi only as much of the strip as is required, thus exposing, at the most, the outer surface of but that fold or layer which is nearest the opening.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the article which constitutes my invention, the section being taken through the wide part thereof. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the exception that the section is taken through the narrow part of the article; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the article.

In the drawings, a designates a rectangular case having a suitable hinged cover b at one end and inclosing the strip 0, folded as hereinbefore described and wrapped in a wrapping or covering (Z. By folding the strip uniformly and compactly each fold or layer may be made to lie squarely upon its neighbor, thus reducing to a minimum the formation of crevices for the lodgment of germs. In other words, each layer or fold will constitute a covering for the neighboring fold, their side and end edges being covered by the wrapping d, which, if the package snuglyfits the case, will contact with them practically at all points.

The wrapping or covering d above referred to is composed of some soft yielding and flexible material, preferably a piece of the dressing itself. If desired, and as shown in Fig. 3, this may be augmented by a covering of oiled paper 6. Where the covering 01 has the above specified qualities, the package of course snugly fitting the case, I have found fold or layer having its several edges in close contact withsaid covering to thus form therewith a seal for the subjacent folds or layers, said package being inclosed in and snugly fitting said container, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of October, 1898.

HENRY O. LOVIS.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, ROBERT J. POLLITT. 

